Striping attachment for knitting machines



W- 1932- w. J. LONGTIN 1,874,769

STRIPING ATTACHIENT FOR KNITTING MACHINES Fild Oct. 8, 1950 2Sheets-Sheet 1 I 1 f0 I I g o e 9 o I :i i g i /A l l \1 E l i 21 I I '1i A 5 f? 3 E 1 1 'M Hi 15 .1 ,1" Ti? ,2 '1 I i 5 a. f5": 7 c

All. 30, 19.32. w, J, LQNGTIN V 1,874,769

STRIIIHG ATTACHIENT FOR KNITTING IACHINES I mm Oct. 8, 1930 2 sums-sum 2i inga vertical striping other thread changes may be intr uced into saidstripes as desired. 1' 1 10 With this main object in view, my inven-Patented Aug. so, we 1 wnmnm 1. LONG'I'IN, or mums, rmmsrnvmn,assrcuon'ro mm orananmc. rmsrnvam A conronarron or ram-wane m we;

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M invention relates to circular knitting macliines and more specificallto those havattac ent feeding extra threads to certain needles. toproduce 4 ornamentalplait'ed stripes; my present object being to providefor a selective automatic changing of such threads whereb color or tionconsists in improvements in the construction, arrangement andoperationof the guide fingers supplying such plaiti-ngflthread to theneedles, as -w1ll now be more ly de- 15' scribed in connection with theaccompanying drawin the novel features thereof be-- in set fort in theappended claims.

eferring to the drawings: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic verticalsection of g}a portion of a well known rib-kmttm machine suflicient to fully disclosea re erred embodiment of my invention apph thereto. Fi 2 is afragmentary side elevation showingthe knitting needles and the relationas of the plaitin thread guide fingers thereto.

Fig. 3 is a 'agrammatlc transverse crosssectional view on-the lines 3-3of Fig. 2, 1ndicatin the lateral shifting action of the guide w eel onthe ends of the radially swung guide fingers.

Fig. 4 is a dia ammatic side e1evation of a pair of guide l ihgers andwith a radially swung one on agin the guide wheel whlc shifts it lateray its particular needle.. The drawings indicate a knittingmachine havinga vertical striping attachment of gen erally similar structure to thatshown and described in U. S. Patent to Walter Larkin, No. 1,666,780 ofAfplril 17, 1928, as reference thereto will more 11y disclose; and whilea machine having dial needles for rib-knitting is shown, my improvementsare equally-applicable to a usual. lain knitting machine, as thestriping attac ent shown feeds onl to the cylinder needles and an plies1nd1v1 ual ones of the latter with a ded thread to produce plaitedvertical stripes in well known manner. I

My present invention relates to improvements in such striping attachmentby prodriven depending sleeve shaft 18 and 1s 1 Application 0mm 8,:1930.sum 8 0.67.1";

viding for a plurality of ide fingers in place of'a singleiinger, eachaving its separate plalting thread, and each 0 rated by patternmechanism to selectively eed a determined needle or needles by apositively controlled needle-wrapping encircllng swing.

.In the known mechanism-shown in the drawings 7 5 indicates a usualstationary needle cy inder, and 6 the series of slots in the latter inwhich the movable needles 7 are mounted the particular machine shown em-510 in dial needles 9, radially movable in a ia p ate 10, but, asstated, these are not essential to my improvements.

In the known striping attachment shown, 11 indicatesthe cylindr calguide carrier coaxially mounted in spaced relation above the Anon-rotated needle cylinder 5 and is provided with guide slot ways 12for a series of thread guides 13as heretofore, such slots 12 preferablycorresponding in number with and overhanging the needle slots 6 so as torovide an 1 individual guide 13 for each 11 1e 7 when desired. And inknown manner suitable cams radially swing said guides 13 across thecircle of needles 7, the angularly bent end 13' insurin return of saidng'er end on the opposite slde of its needle to wrap the thread aboutthe latter. Selective operation of such guides 13 has also been providedheretofore y butts'14' rojecting through the slotted wall of'cylin' er11 for determined action of. cam 15'on a rotated verticall shiftablesleeve 16.. The sleeve 16 is key on a rotatabl mpved vertically thereonby means of link bar 19, lever 20 and ush bar 21, the latter overhangingsuitable age on a pattern drum 22, and l nk 19 having a engaging sleeve;16. The above briefly set forth known mechanism is ada ted to feed aseries of added threads to se ected individual needles to formcontinuous or irregular plaited pattern stripes, but does not providefor desirable see lective change of such threads for novel colorcombinations or the like.

To '.provide for such thread changes, I employ a plurality of guides inall or selectedslots 12 each carrying a separate thread,

and determinedly singly operating them dependin on the particular threaddesired.

The rawings show two such thread guides 25 and 26 jointly mounted forindividual operation in a carrier slot way 12, the general shape of eachguide being as heretofore and each provided with a butt 27 and 28respectively extending inwardly in different horizontal planes, asshown, for selective 0 tion by suitably placed cam of shifted rotarysleeve 16. In order to accommodate two guides in a single slot way, saidguide way must be enlarged or each guide must necessarily be made of asmuch as possible interfering rubbin 'ction when singly swung, and suchfrictionor lighter material reduces their lateral stifi'ness and rendersunreliable the heretofore springy angled guide ends effecting a needlewrapping movement when radially swung across the needle cylinder.

located in different horizontal planes for suitable action of cam 15 toselectively swing either guide or 26 radially as heretofore, and toinsure their ends 25and 26 encircling the same needle when thus moved, Iemploy a deep-toothed wheel at one end of a shaft 31 rotatably mountedin fixed bearin 32 carried on the rotated cam plate 33' an having adrive gear 34 at the other end,

. driven by tooth engagement with the needle slot cylinder 5. Gear 34 isshown as meshing with slots 6 ofthe cylinder, but obviously may en ageinstead with the needle shanks, or be ot erwise driven by said cylinder.

To eifect the desired action on the guides the lineal speed of the wheel30 may be different from the lineal s eed of the needle cylinder, but Iprefer as s own, to rotate this wheel 30 so that its lineal speed willbe the I same as that of the cylinder 5, and to form it with deep teethadapted to engage the ends 25' or. 26" of each radially swung guide.

These teeth are shown as preferably inclined .with relation to radialhues and curved to engage and move a'guide end, 25' or 26", lati erallywith relation to their respective needle so that the inward swing ofeither will be made past the opposite side of the needle from that oftheir outward swing, thus insuring the thread being positively wrappedabout said needle.

It is the curvature ofthe when travellin at equal lineal-speed with thatof the circ e'of needles, that efiects this lateral needle wrappingmovement, and it will be understood that both guides, 25 and 26, are setto swing outwardly past the same side of the particular needle theychangeably feed and are returned by action of said wheel on theopposite'side of such needle.

My plurality of guides, 25 and 26, may be employed in each carrier slotway 12, or only in certain of the latter, with old guides 13 lightermaterial to reduce guide wheel teeth action on guides 13 will merelyinsure their lateral swing, or said guides 13 may be made straight, ifdesired, and depend on said wheel for their required lateral movement.

'With my improved guides 25 and 26, changes of thread may be had wheredesired to produce different color effects in a given vertical stripeand such changes determinedly provided for by action of the pattern drum22 during continuous machine operation.

' From the foregoing description it is believed the nature of myimprovements and their operation in feeding changes of thread tospecific needles, will be readily understood.

The number of uides in a given slot-way may be changed and theirarrangement around the cylindrical carrier varied as de-: sired for Thebutts 27 and 28 as stated, are spacedly articular patterns; and in placeof the prefdrred guide actuatingcurved teeth shown onwheel 30, saidteeth may be radial and laterally shift the guideends by a difference inthe lineal speeds of said wheel and needle cylinder. Other modificationsmay be made withinthe spirit of my invention as defined in the followingclaims.

What Iclaim is: Y1

1. In combination with a circular knitting machine, a thread-changeplating attachment adapted to selectively supply threads to the sameneedle, comprising a lurality of guide fingers, pattern-controlle meansfor imparting a radial swinging movement across the circle of needles toa selected one of said fingers, and a finger-end engaging wheel adaptedto laterally shift said radially swinging end to impart thereto aneedleencircling movement.

2. In combination with a circular knitting machine, a thread-changeplating attachment adapted to selectivelysupply threads to the sameneedle, comprising a carrier having a vertical ide slot overhangin 2.cylinder slot of a etermined needle, a p urality of guide fingers insaid carrier slot, patterncontrolled means for imparting a radialswinging movement across the circle of me dles to a selected one of saidfingers, and means actuated by cylinder-slot for impartinga-needle-encircling movement to said radially swinging finger. i

3. In combination with a circular knitting machine, a thread-changeplating attachment adapted to selectively supply threads to the sameneedle, comprising a carrier hav-,

adapted to laterally shift said radially swing- "lid ing end to impartthereto a needle-encircling movement.

4. In combination with a circular knitting machine comprising a needlecylinder having a vertical series of guide slots, and a correspondingseries of needles reciprocally movable in said slots, of a change-threadplating attachment therefor comprising a cylinder having guide-carrierslot-ways overhanging the slots of said needle cylinder and mountedcoaxially with the latter, a plurality of radially reciprocableplating-thread guide-fingers jointly mounted in one of said carrier s otways, pattern-controlled cams adapted to selectively swing one of saidguide fingers outwardly across the circle of needles adjacent one sideof a determined needle, a gear wheel driven by said needle cylinder anda guide-wheel driven by said gear wheel and adapted to engage the end ofeither radially swung guide finger to laterall shift said end to theother -side of said ne of needles whereby the thread of saidselectedguide finger is wrapped about said determined nee e. I

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM J. LONGTIN.

D le preliminary to its return swing inwardly-across said circle

